Real Estate Law

Practice what's necessary to succeed in a growing field

"The greatest asset I have discovered at the Moritz College of Law is the excellent combination of academic scholars in the area of property and real estate law, and professors with practical, real-world experience. As a result, the available academic and practical resources continue to grow. Students can take advantage of a rich curriculum including upper level courses focusing on real estate development, real estate finance, landlord-tenant law, redeveloping urban areas, eminent domain, and commercial leasing.

In my 2L year, with the help of the Moritz administration and Professor Rick Daley, I was able to help expand the available property and real estate law resources by founding the Real Estate Law Association. The group has an excellent board of directors and large student membership committed to increasing the educational, networking, and career development opportunities in this legal practice area."

Tamara Maynard
3L
Hometown: Columbus

Real estate law and development is a dynamic, growing, and complicated area. Building
on the foundational first-year course on property, students may study the financing and
development of commercial and residential real estate transactions and investments in our upperlevel curriculum.

Moritz’s Property course is a mandatory part of the first-year curriculum for all J.D. students. The course is a survey designed to explore the concept that “property” is not a thing, but rather “denotes legal relations between persons with respect to a thing.” The traditional property course leads into a wealth of offerings for students interested in real estate development, and other property issues.

In the upper-level curriculum, a number of courses build on the Property foundation with regard to real estate. These include Real Estate Transactions, Real Estate Finance, Landlord-Tenant Law, Land Use Planning and Government Regulation, and Eminent Domain. Other groups of upper-level property courses involve wills, trusts, and estates.

Real estate and development law is a dynamic and growing practice area, and Moritz students have an unprecedented opportunity to get first-hand experience. The College offers an innovative, hands-on Real Estate Development Law course that is routinely praised by both students and potential employers. The course mixes simulated negotiations, city council meetings, and real estate deals to provide students the practical experience and knowledge that real estate development firms and law firms are seeking. The program fills a niche of providing hands-on learning in real estate development law and deals that American law schools often miss.

The ground-breaking course is different than traditional law courses in that it places students in the middle of simulated real estate deals. Students learn about the business, how to effectively represent their clients, and what to expect once they graduate. The course uses a case study approach, which emphasizes the needs of the client at each stage of the real estate development process (beginning with the initial acquisition of the project site through the ultimate sale of the developed project).

Moritz students can also further their experience as part of the Real Estate Law Association. The student group hopes to further discussion on the area of law, draw interesting speakers regarding real estate law, and host thought-provoking programming.

Course Sampling

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